Dreams Drops and Drabbles
by LimitedEternity
Summary: The way to love is never a clear shot, nor is it ever predictable. People always tell how love started, and with time others will see how it will end, but hardly anyone mentions the bumps, the twists, and the heart stopping drops inbetween. It's a shame really; for anyone looks at these two lovers different as day and night should know that their story is a tale of a life time.
1. Tea Girls

**A/N: I have been reading lots of fabulous little short stories that don't have some huge over hanging epic tale behind them and are instead more like little glimpses into the lives of the characters. I like these stories so much in fact that I have decided to try my hand at them, mostly to have fun with them and to work on developing my own writing style. So naturally, things will get bumpy. I will be trying (that's the key word here) to write little stores about Zuko and Katara mainly, but other characters are anything but off limits. They may be AU, strange, happy or sad, but as always, constructive criticism, suggestions and requests are always welcomed!**

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_Ps: In this story, Zuko and his Uncle have been traveling with the gaang for a while_

**Peasant**

"Peasant where are my clothes?"

"Peasant where is my uncle?"

"It's not my fault if I'm not used to igloos and dirt like you peasants are!"

"Peasant."

"_Peasant!"_

"ENOUGH!" Katara stood up from her place sitting next to his uncle, fingers curled into claws. "I am sick and tired of you always calling me and Sokka peasants!" Stomping up to Zuko she stooped over to stab a slim finger in his face her blue eyes blazing.

"Peasant this and peasant that, peasant where's the food!" she ranted "I'm not your servant so stop treating me like one! I just can't believe I've put up with you for this long!"

Zuko simply started for a moment eyebrow raised before slowly standing to his full height. In all honesty, he wasn't really trying to insult her (Sokka however lived up to his name in every way) the title was more of a habit more than anything else. Why didn't this unbearably loud woman understand that? At this rate, she was going to give away their position to Ozai himself.

"Don't you dare screech at me like-"he started voice pitched low, but she only raised her own and continued on her tirade.

"And another thing" she went on not cowed by him in the least "Where do you get calling us peasants from anyways? Sokka and I are the children of the village chief! We're as close to Southern Water Tribe royalty as you can get even if, unlike you, we can keep our egos in check!"

Zuko blinked once never having thought of it like that before pulling on a sneer.

"That's about as impressive as being the principal of a home school" he shot back a smirking as she sputtered wordlessly. He'd sooner die than admit it but he lived for these arguments, her temper was fantastic to watch once she got going. It was a shame really that a she wasn't a firebender, she'd have a lot of emotion to draw from.

"I- You- You're…"

Zuko leaned forward a bit and smiled as she tried to stand her ground and look strong, but her cheeks slowly heating to a dull red under his gaze and the uncertainty in newly widened eyes betrayed the affect he was having on her. Keen golden eyes picked up on this before he simply shook a bit of hair out of his face.

"What?" he asked impishly "Cat-owl got your tongue?"

Caught up in the moment Katara recklessly pushed herself forward previous embarrassment forgotten, very nearly closing the gap between their faces. Zuko tried to tell himself that he wasn't disappointed that she didn't overshoot.

"For Yue's sake you are impossible!" she hissed before turning sharply on her heel and stalking to the nearby river to cool off, leaving behind a smug prince and his nearly forgotten uncle.

"You know nephew," Iroh finally spoke prompting Zuko to turn around and well, actually remember that he was there. Somehow, he felt almost embarrassed that his uncle had seen them argue, it like he was invading on something that was to be kept between him and Katara. But that was absurd there was nothing to going on with them and the argument meant nothing. He just enjoyed riling her up a bit, making the Sugar Queen show her thorns.

"You like your women the way I like my tea," He paused for a beat and Zuko rolled his eyes at the prospect of yet another tea related life lesson from his uncle. He remained silent, impatiently shifting his weight from one foot to the other as the silence stretched on.

"Strong and hot!" Iroh finally exclaimed when he was sure he had captured his audience's interest.

"…"

"But you see Zuko you must be very careful about these things. Now that you have found a tea to your liking, you must figure out a way to drink it without getting burned. However, you cannot wait for it too cool for too long or someone else will figure out how to get a taste before you do." He said meaningfully "Surely you do not want another to taste the tea you have grown so fond of?"

Zuko's mouth slowly fell open and his face grew warm as he caught on.

"Uncle…"

"And don't think that you can try to drink other teas while you are admiring this one for any reason," he went on sagely "I will tell you now that mixing teas is always a bad idea. You might think the flavors will complement each other, but ultimately trying to sample more than one tea at a time will only ensure that you end up thirsty at the end of the night" Iroh put a hand to his beard and stroked it thoughtfully for a moment before his wrinkled face lit up "Well most of the time."

Zuko could only blanch.

"And Prince Zuko I understand that you are young and that you might not think the consequences of your actions through sometimes. You may try to sip the tea before it has steeped properly, or you may neglect to appreciate your tea as it is, but you must promise me one thing." He said, his voice full of warning for his young nephew.

Despite his rapidly growing discomfort, Zuko's curiosity got the better of him and he folded his arms tightly to brace himself for his uncle's final piece of advice.

"What is it?" He asked hesitantly.

Iroh's serious face broke into a wide grin "No matter how much you think it will better the experience of finally tasting your tea, you must make sure none of the leaves escape the tea bag! The Fire Nation will require a junior tea drinker at some point but now is not the time!"

"UNCLE!"

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**A/N: I just wanted to start out with something silly that I thought of in a moment of boredom. But I must confess that the idea of Iroh using tea to explain certain things ;) was inspired by a fanfic that read on here that I can't remember. Can anyone give me the name? I think in that fic Zuko didn't catch on to what Iroh meant or if he did it wasn't right away.**


	2. I Know

"You're sure this is going to work?"

"Absolutely."

"Positive?"

"Of course not!" Sokka snapped "When it comes to an entire invasion, even my plans aren't fool proof!" Golden eyes swept over the plans for the invasion of the fire nation once more.

"I know, it's just… this seems a bit flashy" Zuko muttered. Sokka snatched the plans back, his mouth tense.

"Yeah, well we needed a distraction." There was a pause before Sokka relaxed and gave his cocky smile one more. If you didn't know him, you would not have noticed that there was wasn't anything behind it. "Bit late to question the plans at this point anyways. Besides" he crowed "when Team Avatar fights we do it up big!" He turned to the rest of the Invasion Strike Team "Right guys?!" When he got a few halfhearted sures and a "Hell yeah!" from Toph, Sokka deflated just a little bit, collapsing beside Suki; one hand griped his sword while the other sought out his love's.

The room lapsed into a tense silence, the air growing heavy and brittle. Unable to calm his nerves, Zuko looked to his companions for distraction. As a whole, the Avatar team seemed remarkably calm as they waited for the signal to begin what could be the last day of their lives.

But Zuko knew better.

Despite all this flaws, that a certain someone hardly hesitated to remind him of, he was always observant. Sokka and Suki where whispering almost feverishly, weapons cast aside and forgotten and they lost themselves in the other's touch.

Toph was leaning against a stone wall, making sure every piece of uncovered skin touched her beloved element. From the way her hands jerked and curled so often and her shoulders tensed, Zuko could guess that she was listening to the movement of the troops, the sounds of each soldier's footstep multiplied by his brother's.

Aang was understandably solemn. He was staring out of a small hole he had carved in the wall. Zuko could swear his already white knuckled grip on his glider grew tighter with each passing moment of silence. And Katara…

Katara couldn't stop looking at Zuko. And he had no idea how to respond.

Whenever she thought he wasn't looking she would raise her head with a contemplative expression on her face. Once she had opened her mouth as if to say something only to snap it shut, her gaze hitting the ground has Zuko tried to catch her eye.

"You know what Sparky" Toph suddenly said "I bet the tension in here would be cut in half if you and Sugar Queen would just go off somewhere an-"

"You guys! The first wave just attacked"

As Aang's voice tapered off there was a pause before the tiny room burst into a flurry of motion. Aang widened the hole in the wall a bit as Sokka rushed to his side, giving them both a clear view of the clashing troops in the valley below. Sokka stared out for a moment, his face tight as Water Tribe warriors spill from their boats. He ducked his head, one hand pressed to his heart while the other hung clenched at his side. When he looks up again his expression is smooth.

"The second signal is coming soon. Toph!" he barked "Be ready to blow this wall on my word and Aang be ready to fly." Taking a deep breath he finished "If we stick to the plan everything should be fine. It has to be". As the distant sound of fighting forced its way up, Zuko slowly made his way to Katara. He wasn't one for cheesy life of death confessions but as Katara looked up at him, lips slightly parted and eyes wide, he knew he had to say something.

"Katara I-" he stared out before his mouth grew too dry to talk "I-" they both jump when Sokka's voice rang out.

"Alright gang on my count!"

Zuko suddenly felt terror squeeze his heart. He wasn't ready. He wasn't' ready to face his father or Azula. He wasn't ready to face his fellow countrymen, burning and destroying in the name of the greater good. And most of all he wasn't ready to say what needed to be said. But right now this could be his last chance to do it.

"10!"

"Katara we might not make it to the next sun rise" he blurted out. Katara was distracted as she tensed in anticipation of the coming fight but still managed to give him her attention.

"I know" she said quietly

"9!"

"And I was just thinking… If one of us doesn't make it… not that I think that will happen… but just in case I wanted to tell you I…" Zuko ripped a hand through his hair, nostrils steaming and hands shaking in frustration. "Damn it why didn't I do this sooner!"

"8!"

Katara gently touched his face, her numerous water skins shifting with the movement.

"It's my fault too" she sighed "I could have said something sooner as well".

"7!"

Zuko stared. Did that mean she felt the same way?

"6!" He grasped the hand that still rested on his face and pressed it tightly, allowing her hand to fully touch his scar, a prodigious sign a trust. His reward for his boldness was a soft smile as she understood the message.

"5!"

Time seemed to suddenly speed up. He needed time that he didn't have. "Katara I-"

"4!"

Her gaze was unwavering as observed him. Had her eyes always been so startlingly blue?

"3!"

Impulsively Katara's hand landed on the other side of his face, pulling him close for a searing kiss, completely overwhelming Zuko as he was caught off guard. It all handed so quickly that he hardly even had the time to reciprocate. She pulled back and touched her lips with a faint blush "I'm sorry I just… I just had to know what it was like. Before we leave." She whispered.

"2!"

"Took ya long enough" Toph grumbled and was utterly ignored by both parties. Zuko once again tried to speak.

"1!"

"You don't have to say it" she murmured with wisdom beyond her years. He swallowed hard and looked at her desperately.

"**GO!**"

"I know"

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**A/N: So. Who do you guys think said the last line? But I never wanted the three special words to be said by either party because you know what? Not everyone gets to say them before a parting in real life.**


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